Focus
•	clear purpose – focused
•	ideas are clear
	Content
•	information and details are specific to topic
•	Details are important to topic	Organization
•	logical order of idea paragraphs deal
•	Paragraphs deal with one subject
•	Clear introduction and conclusion	Style
•	precise language
•	 effective word choice
•	Variety of sentence structure, types, and lengths	Conventions
•	mechanics: spelling, capitalization,  punctuation
•	Usage (pronouns, subject-verbagreement)
•	Complete sentences
•	Appearance
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Stays on topic
Clear purpose	Clearly develops and supports ideas with outstanding details	Ideas are connected: logical and in order	Effective word choice
Precise language
Varied word choice and sentence structure	Very few or no errors
Close to perfect	4	
Some evidence of purpose
Generally stays on topic	Satisfactorily develops and supports ideas with some details	Most ideas are connected: most are in logical order	Satisfactorily clear and varied word choice and sentence structure	Few errors
Easy to read and understand	3	
Unclear purpose
Strays from topic	Partially develops and supports ideas
Not enough details	Some ideas are connected: some ideas are in logical order	Somewhat clear and varied word choice and sentence structure	Some errors
Writing has mistakes that make it hard to read and understand	2	
Strays from topic
No clear topic	Barely develops and supports ideas	Few ideas connected: confused	Unclear: no variety of word choice and sentence structure	Many errors
Too hard to read and understand	1